With news reports focusing on acts of terrorism (i.e. suicide bombings and drone attacks) and the forced repression of women (i.e. the story of Malala Yousafzai), it often seems like the media has written Pakistan off as a lost cause. Yet WLNA 2013 delegate Anja Manuel points out that, all too often, the media overlooks Pakistan’s more hopeful story about the progress that Pakistan’s women have made in the political arena. In fact, more than 200 women are running for National Assembly seats in Pakistan’s May 11 elections, and more than 500 are running for Provincial Assembly seats–these are incremental but important gains for Pakistani women!